It's thought that Wednesday's accident could delay the completion of the stadium until after December which was the deadline given by FIFA to have all 12 World Cup venues ready, Associated Press reported.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said that he was 'deeply saddened' by the tragedy.

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On its website, the stadium's owners, Sport Club Corinthians, said that at the end of October, the Itaquerao Stadium was 94% complete and on schedule for the December deadline. More than 1,500 construction workers are building the stadium.

Images taken at the scene show the huge metal structure that had fallen into and damaged one of the main stands.

Sport Club Corinthians released a statement after the incident: "The board of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista hereby deeply regret the accident earlier in Corinthians Arena. No other information at this time."

FIFA and the LOC have learned of the death of workers at the Corinthians Arena site in Sao Paulo with great sadness. We wish to send our heartfelt condolences to the family of the workers who tragically died today.

The safety of workers is the top priority for FIFA, the LOC and the federal government.

We know the safety of all workers has always been paramount for all the construction companies contracted to build the 12 FIFA World Cup stadiums.

The Department of Labour and the local authorities will fully investigate the reasons behind such a tragic accident. Please understand that we are in no position to comment further at this stage, as we are awaiting further details from the authorities.